Numerous board games utilize a plurality of markers to indicate a particular thing unique to that game. In particular, such games as bingo and lotto require a player to cover a series of numbers on a flat board as numbers are randomly picked.
In games where numerous markers are used, such as bingo, it becomes difficult to remove all of the markers between games. This is particularly evident when a single player is using several cards. In the past, the player either had to individually remove the chips or pick each card up and spill the markers or chips into a particular area for use during the next game.
Although previous bingo pick-up devices have been patented, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,684,288, such devices have suffered from having insufficient surface area for pick-up of markers from numerous cards. In particular, the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,684,288, while serving adequately for a limited number of markers, suffers in that there is insufficient contact area about the magnet for numerous markers or chips to be gathered thereabout. Particularly, the board game apparatus is extremely limited in that the stem portion which contains the magnet is limited to less than the size of the handle portion. Thus the magnet contained in the board game apparatus is similarly limited.
A cylindrical magnet, such as is used in the aforedescribed apparatus, has limited surface area. Furthermore, the curvilinear shape of the exterior surface of the stem in the aforedescribed patent provides only a tangential point of contact to which the flat marker or chips are attracted. Thus, the overall cylindrical shape provides only a limited capability to retrieve the markers or chips.
In most board games, it may be advantageous to provide the player with the capability of seeing the underlying number which the marker or chip covers. In order to provide a marker or chip with ferromagnetic properties, which is attracted to a magnetic pick-up device, it is necessary to either make the marker in an annular shape or embed a plurality of metal particles in the marker or chip. If a washer shape (annular ring) is utilized and the chip or marker is made of ferromagnetic material, the weight of the plurality of markers or chips becomes a factor. Therefore, utilizing a plastic material is appropriate. In order to obtain the ferromagnetic properties, it is necessary to embed a metallic material having ferromagnetic properties in the plastic. In earlier game apparatus, the markers or chips were described as having metal particles embedded in the plastic. This has proved relatively unsatisfactory in the manufacturing process in that the metallic chips tend to damage the machine cutting the circular marker shape. This coupled with the cylindrical shape of the earlier game apparatus prompted the improved game apparatus disclosed herein.